Process
by Nalana
Summary: Zach, Shaun, and Cody settle into their new life in stages. Each come to their role in the family piece by piece.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the "Shelter" characters or premise. Nor am I making money off this. It's simply for fun!

* * *

"Remember, mid-term portfolios are due next Tuesday. I want any unresolved pieces revisited by then. You're not in high school art any more, people." Zach's first year drawing course instructor reminded him.

"Ugh. I thought that would never end." His classmate, Ari, whispered in his ear bringing a grin to the corner of his lips. Most of the students for this course were equally as bored. Because, honestly, if they had been good enough to be accepted in the first place did they really need a basic drawing course? Well, he supposed some abstractionists did. And, it had been a while since he held dry media.

"Yea, well at least we're free for a full four days." He loved Tuesday/Thursday classes. He really did. "Hey are you going to do any more on—" he stopped as amongst the shuffling and clanking of students prepping to leave a very familiar giggle filled the room.

He turned to see Cody running to him. The boy immediately attached to his legs. Grinning he reached down to ruffle the boy's hair. He looked up to see Shaun leaning against a free wall.

"I picked him up from school. He wanted to see what your classroom looked like, so I figured why not? It was close enough. Had a time finding the place, though." He added.

"Did you do all of these drawings?" Cody asked, pointing one hand at the wall where their pieces for critique were still hanging.

"No, I only did one. Remember, the one you helped me with last night before bed." Cody's eyes dawned.

"I like the one with all the swirls!" Cody noted. "They look really cool!"

"Thank you." Ari spoke up with a smile, leaning down to introduce herself. Cody blushed a little and clung.

"Hey, you want me to teach you how to make ones like that?" She tried. Cody nodded with enthusiasm. She pulled out a stool, letting Zach lift him up onto it as she took out some of the supplies she hadn't packed away. They had been the last class before open studio.

"He's adorable!" Ari all but bounced watching him scribble away. "You never told me you had a son!"

Zach froze. He looked at Shaun who was looking at him with a slightly amused 'I told you so' face. The count had been lost on how many times Shaun had insisted that Cody was more his then Jeanne. Even now he stood there with his mouth open. Closing it his crossed his arms. What he said next, he said with a smile.

"You never asked."

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"Mr. Andrew. Mr. Reynolds. Mr. and Mrs. Holten. I believe you all understand why you are here today?" A rather lanky woman with wild hair entered the rather sterile looking office and sat behind her desk.

Shaun gripped his hands on the edge of his seat. He took a quick glance over at the couple beside them. What they wore alone probably cost more then what he'd spend in a month—art supplies included. They looked exactly like the type of people he'd avoid when he had gotten into the same private school as Gabe. Even after all these years he couldn't help but feel anxious tolerance at best around them. Not all people born with money were as accepting as the Andrews. Not that they were all bad, of course.

"It seems that Cody and Kaleb haven't been getting along. Their rivalry has…escaladed." The principal of Cody's elementary school said in summary. "I'm afraid that we cannot permit this kind of behavior."

"If this behavior continues I'm afraid both may face suspension." She folded her hands on her desk. "But what I've called you in here to discuss our options. Is there anything that could cause the tension that has grown between them?"

"Well, of course you should never resort to violence, Ms. Turnning." The other boy's mother feigned disgust. "But Kaleb has been quite plain with us. He's being provoked. You know how…tedious it can be for a child who spends time between two families. But we've raised him properly and taught him not to do these things."

"That may be so, Mrs. Holten. But as I understand from teachers reports, Kaleb has often is the one to initiate the arguments." The principal said sifting through papers. "In fact, he has been disciplined several times for remarks that we do not tolerate here. He's also witnessed to be the one becoming physically aggressive."

The mother settled back into her chair. She shot a glance over to Zach and Shaun, her nose turning up slightly. Zach shrugged it off.

"Well, he must have had good reason. We'll be sure to speak with him about his actions. Surely we can just…dismiss this for now?" Mr. Holten pat his new wife's hand to calm her.

"DISMISS this? No, I don't think we're going to." Zach jumped as he heard Shaun speak up. It wasn't like him to jump up to argue.

"Excuse me?" The other boy's stepfather asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Holten, I am not going to sit here and listen to you make excuses for your son. Do you know how many times Cody has come home with bruises over the past two weeks?" He was all but growling.

" It's not as if your son didn't push back as well, sir." The mother sneered.

"Yea, after a week of getting pushed into the dirt!" Shaun rose to his feet. Zach grabbed his arm but was shrugged off. "And I'm happy to say I taught him how to defend himself! Now I'm not going to condone violence. But when a boy who has cried maybe twice in the four years he's been in my life comes home and breaks into tears, I'm not going to sit there and tell him to simply lay down and let it happen!"

"Mr. Andrews, please calm down." The principal stood. Despite the difference in stature, the woman was commanding. Shaun settled down, but the fire did not leave his eyes.

"Ms. Turning, I don't want any of this to continue either. Both are talented children." Zach interrupted, nodding to the parents across from them. "But Cody has been reacting out of an urge to protect himself. He doesn't feel comfortable around Kaleb. He's said some very inappropriate things to him. The best we can do is to reinforce that Cody ignore him. But I can promise you that I will turn my eye if he is continually harassed."

"So it's all Kaleb's fault? Oh of COURSE it is!" Mrs. Holten snapped, glaring. "I will not hear any more of this."

"Perhaps this would be better if I spoke to you separately." The principal acknowledged, asking Zach and Shaun to step out into the hallway.

Once there, Zach sat down in one of the lined chairs with a sigh. Shaun was pacing. He hadn't seen his partner this angry, possibly ever. He spoke his name, attempting to comfort him.

"No, I won't calm down, Zach! Cody is getting tormented just for being our son!"

"Shaun…" Zach choked.

"You would think in this friggin' year people would be over all this damn petty shit!"

"Shaun." He tried again.

"And what's worse? That boy's parents will NEVER see the problem! I'm tired of this, Zach!" He growled.

"Shaun."

"WHAT?"

"…You called him our son." Zach breathed. "You've never…"

"Well, he is. Isn't he?" Shaun asked, sitting down next to Zach.

Zach grinned, reaching over to take the older man's hand. He heard Shaun exhale with ease. After all these years, a simple touch meant just as much as it always had.

"Yea. He is." Zach leaned his head on Shaun's shoulder, marveling for a moment how far he had come from the days he was afraid to even be a few feet from him.

Exiting the principal's office an hour later, the two exited the school side-by-side. Smirking to himself, Shaun reached down to grab Zach's hand. Absent-mindedly he looked to the sky.

"You know…I've been thinking."

"It's dangerous you know."

"haha. No, though. I'm serious." Shaun stopped them, turning Zach to face him. "What if I changed my name? Shaun Reynolds sounds a lot better then Andrews. It rolls off the tongue better."

"What?" Zach choked a bit. "Oh come on man. We're past all that. I don't need that.

"Well, it's easier to change one name then two. Especially since we don't have full custody over Cody yet."

"…You really want this, don't you?" the younger man blinked.

"Yea." Shaun said without hesitation. "I do."

"Well," Zach looked at his feet with a smirk. "I guess there's no stopping you when you've made your mind up…. Mr. Reynolds."

"I learned from the best, Mr. Reynolds." Shaun smirked pulling Zach close before he was shrugged off. They may be in after hours, but it was still a school zone. Shaun snorted, rolling his eyes, before taking his hand and leading them to their car.

___

"There he is! When did you get so tall?" Shaun snaked his way through the crowds towards Cody, who was somehow still clean in his suit. Even at the ripe age of fourteen they could tell he'd easily rival Shaun in size within a year or two.

"When did he get so OLD?" Zach mumbled behind his nephew-turned son. They had barely exited Zach's eighth grade graduation. The artist nearly dreaded what they'd go through in another four years. But he'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

That night Cody sat on their back porch looking up at the city skyline. His dad and Shaun's words ran through him. He was scared, like any other kid his age. From here on out everything just became bigger.

"Don't worry. We'll be here to catch ya'." Cody turned to see Shaun standing in the doorway, beer in hand. Waltzing over he sat down to sprawl out beside him. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"…Shaun?"

"That would be me."

"Did you and dad ever think of adopting a kid?" He asked.

"Well, you were quite a handful. Not sure we could handle two." The man joked, but then cocked his head. "What's bringing this up?"

"I dunno…" Cody hung his head. "It's just…"

"Just?"

"Well…Dad's really my uncle. And you just…kind of took us in. Don't you want a kid of your own?"

"Hey. You look at me." Shaun commanded. "I didn't just 'take you on.' I love you both, and you know that. Besides, It's too quiet without you. Hell if I know what I'm going to do when you head off to college." He smirked, nudging him in the shoulder.

Cody smiled. He could always count on Shaun. As long as he could remember, almost, he had been there. And yet there was something that was still bothering him. He looked at his feet, a habit he had gotten from Zach.

"Then…do you think…maybe…you don't have to!" He added on quickly. "Doesn't really matter but…Can I call you dad?" His voice had become mumbled.

Shaun stared at the young teen with shock. The moment the words precede a foolish grin lit up his entire face. Even his eyes sparkled in a light that rivaled the lamps around them.

"Well I think you'd be a pretty lousy son if you didn't." He jabbed once again. Only this time, Cody jabbed back. Just the way it should be.


End file.
